Excavating machine



July 27, 1965 v. s. PENOTE EXGAVATING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Mar16, 1962 INVENTOR. Vincwr S. Peuo'rs HTTORNEYS United States Patent3,195,562 EXQAVA'HNG MACHINE Vincent S. Penote, 18555 Parkland Drive,Shaker Heights, Ohio Filed Mar. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 180,187 3 (Ilaims.or. 37-90 This invention relates in general to excavating machines, andmore particularly to a mobile excavating machine having a movableendless digging unit mounted thereon, with discharge conveyor meansextending transversely of the digging unit, and with the machine beingadapted for excavating trenches or the like.

Conventional excavating machines of the general type with which thisinvention is concerned generally comprise a mobile chassis whichsupports a power unit thereon, and a boom or frame mounted digging uniton one end of the chassis, with the digging unit and associated boombeing usually adjustable in a generally vertical plane, to provide forvarying the depth of the excavation. There is usually provided a powereddischarge conveyor mechanism extending transversely through the diggingunit and supported on the digging unit boom, for receiving excavatedmaterial from the digging unit and dischar ing it to a side of theexcavation. Such discharge conveyor mechanism may include an outerconveyor section which is pivoted with respect to the digging unit boom,for movement in a generally vertical plane, for adjusting the height ofthe discharge end of such conveyor section with respect to ground level,and thus provide for unloading of the excavated material from theconveyor into difierent height trucks or like vehicles, which areadapted to receive the excavated material as the machine moves along theground and digs the trench. Such outer conveyor mechanism section isconventionally supported by a jib or crane having a block and tacklecable system coacting therewith, for so moving the outer conveyorsection in said vertictal plane.

In present day practice, the digging capacity of such endless diggingunit type of excavating machines has been materially increased over thatof past machines, and one recent arrangement of accomplishing thishigher digging capacity, has been to increase the size, and the numberof digging units mounted on the machines chassis. This increased diggingcapacity of the machine presents problems in connection with handlingthe excavated material from the digging unit or units of the machine.

The present invention provides a mobile excavatng machine having anendless digging unit mounted thereon, with discharge conveyor meansextending transversely of the digging unit, laterally to both sidesthereof, and with such conveyor means including a pair of preferablyseparately powered conveyor mechanisms, whereby one of the conveyormechanisms may discharge to one side of the digging unit and the otherconveyor mechanism may discharge to the other side of the digging unit.Such an arrangement provides an excavating machine which can not onlyout-produce and expeditiously discharge a much greater volume ofmaterial, as compared to conventional excavating or trenching machines,but also a machine which has much greater flexibility as concerns thedischarging operations of the machine, and of the excavated materialfrom the digging unit into vehicle or vehicles, such as trucks,traveling along with the machine.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novelexcavating or trenching machine having an endless digging unit mountedthereon, and with the latter incorporating a plurality of dischargeconveyor units projecting to the sides of the digging unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mobile excavatingmachine having an endless digging unit mounted thereon, with dischargeconveyor mechanism extending transversely of the digging unit, and withsuch discharge mechanism comprising a pair of conveyor units extendingfrom the digging unit laterally to opposite sides of the latter, andwith such conveyor units being in material transferring relation attheir inner ends and including power means for selectively driving saidunits in either lengthwise direction thereof, whereby excavated materialfrom the digging unit may be simultaneously discharged to opposite sidesof the digging unit, or only to a selected side of the digging unit. I

A still further object of the invention is to provide an excavatingmachine including a discharge conveyor mech anism of the above type,wherein each of the conveyor units is comprised of a least two sections,one of the sec tions being disposed substantially within the confines ofthe digging unit and the other of the sections being pivoted withrespect to the first mentioned conveyor section, for adjusting theelevation of the outer discharging end of said other conveyor sectionwith respect to ground level.

Another object of the invention is to provide a discharge conveyormechanism for an excavating machine having an endless digging unit,which discharge mechanism provides for selectively discharging theexcavated material from the digging unit to both sides of the diggingunit at the same time, or so only one side of the digging unit.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an excavatingmachine having an endless digging unit mounted thereon with dischargeconveyor mechanism coacting with said digging unit for receivingexcavated material therefrom, and with such discharge conveyor mechanismproviding for much greater flexibility in the discharging operations ascompared to heretofore known arrangements.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan, generally diagrammatic illustration of anexcavating machine having a plurality of digging units mounted thereonto provide a high digging capacity machine, one of the digging unitsbeing mounted on the forward end of the machine and another of thedigging units being mounted on the rearward end of the machine, and witheach of the digging units having associated therewith the noveldischarge conveyor mechanism of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned, end elevational view of the excavatingmachine of FIG. 1 and more or less diagrammatically illustrating thedischarge conveyor mechanism of the invention.

Referring now again to the drawings, there is illustrated an excavatingmachine broadly comprising a main frame or chassis it) supported onsuitable traction mechanism, such as for instance tractor treads 12, andhaving a main power plant or internal combustion engine (not shown)supported on the chassis frame. Mast structure 16 is mounted adjacenteach end of the chassis frame, for supporting a respective boom frame18, 18a adjacent the opposite ends of the chassis. Endless, preferablybucket equipped digging units 20, 29a are movably mounted on therespective boom frame and in any conventional or suitable manner. Eachboom frame may be pivoted, as at 28, to the respective mast structure onthe machine chassis, for movement in a generally vertical plane, andwhich provides for varying the depth of excavation of the respectivedigging unit and in a manner known in the excavating art. Pivoting ofthe boom frame in said generally vertical plane with respect to therespective mast structure may be accomplished by means of double acting,fluid powered, reciprocal motor unit or units 30, pivotally coupled asat 32 to the mast structure and pivotally attached as at 34 to therespective boom frame. Reference may be had to the copending UnitedStates patent ap- 3 plication of Vincent S. Penote, Serial No. 179,331filed Mar. 13, 1962, now Patent No. 3,157,956, for a more detaileddiscussion of the structural arrangement per se of the above excavatingmachine.

Each digging unit 20, 20a may have a transversely extending dischargeconveyor mechanism 42, 42; projecting therethrough and to opposite sidesof the associated digging unit, for receiving the excavated materialfrom the buckets of the digging unit, and discharging such excavatedmaterial to areas disposed laterally of the machine, and into, forinstance, automotive type trucks moving along with the machine, or theexcavated material might be discharged right onto the ground area onopposite sides along the excavation being dug.

Now in accordance with the instant invention, each conveyor mechanism ofan associated digging unit comprises a pair of discharge conveyor units42a, 4212 .or 42a, 42b supported on the boom frame of the respectivedigging unit, and disposed in material transferring relation at theirinner ends, as at 48. Each conveyor unit may comprise an inner section50 having a pair of drums Stla at each end thereof and about which islooped an endless conveyor belt in the conventional manner, and an outersection 52 of considerable length as compared to the inner section, andpivoted to the respective boom frame, as at 54, adjacent the outer endof the respective inner conveyor section, for angular movement in agenerally vertical plane, thereby providing for adjusting the height ofthe outer discharging end of the outer conveyor section 52 with respectto ground level. The outer section of each conveyor unit may include enddrums 52a in a generally similar arrangement as the corresponding innersection. It will be noted that each inner section of each conveyor unitextends approximately 'half way across the transverse width of theassociated digging unit, with the inner ends of the inner sections beingalmost abutting for material transferring relation. The side platestructure 56 of the inner conveyor sections may be continuous, as shown,and extend for the full width of the associated digging unit. The innerand outer sections of each conveyor unit 42a, 42b, 42a, 42b are powerdriven, as by means of conventional, re-

versible, fluid powered, rotary motor units, operatively coupled toassociated drums of the respective conveyor section, so that eachsection of each conveyor unit may be driven in both lengthwisedirections.

Reference may be had to United States Patent No. 2,941,411, issued June21, 1960 to Fred R. Wilhelm et al.,

Y which discloses a mechanism suitable for power driving 'the conveyorsections. 'with such 'an arrangement, the excavated material being Itwill be seen, therefore, that discharged from the buckets of theassociated digging unit and onto the inner conveyor sections 5% may bedischarged from a single side of the excavating unit by driving theinner conveyor sections Si in the same lengthwise direction, or may bedischarged to both sides of the excavating unit by driving the innersections and associated outer sections of each conveyor unit in oppositelengthwise directions. Accordingly, the discharging operation can beeffected into trucks moving along with the excavating machine on bothsides of the excavating machine, and on both sides of each digging unitof the machine, or the excavated material can be discharged to a singleside of the machine, or to alternate sides of the respective diggingunits on the machine. Moreover, the front digging unit (e.g. 2.0) maydischarge into trucks either on both sides or on only one side of thedigging unit, while the rear digging unit (e.g. 20a) may discharge ontothe ground on both sides of the digging unit, or on only one selectedside, or even vice versa. This greatly increases the flexibility of thedischarging operations, and considerably improves the facility of theexcavating machine to adjust to varying excavating and dischargingconditions, as found in the environmental setting in which theexcavation is being carried out.

There is preferably provided a jib 60 for each conveyor unit, preferablypivoted to the machine chassis as at 60a, for angular movement in agenerally vertical plane, and maintained in position by a cable or chain62 in the conventional manner. Each jib may be axially extensible andmay have a coacting block and tackle arrangement 6 associated therewith,for supporting the outer discharge conveyor section of each conveyorunit, and thus adjusting the height of the outer discharge end thereofwith respect to ground level.

With the type of excavating machine shown, which is a high capacityexcavator, it will be seen that with the plurality of digging units andwith the plurality of conveyor units associated with each digging unit,the excavating and discharging operations of the machine are greatlyfacilitated, since the excavated material can be discharged from bothsides of both digging units or from single sides, or alternate sides ofthe digging units, and thereby making a very convenient and flexiblearrangement for excavating large quantities of material and dischargingsaid material into convenient locations, such as for instance automotivetype vehicles traveling along with the excavating machine, resulting ina reduction of the problems connected with maintaining the materialreceiving vehicles in material receiving relation with the excavatingmachine. 7

From the foregoing description and accompanying drawings it will be seenthat the invention provides a novel excavating machine having an endlessdigging unit -movably mounted thereon, with a conveyor mechanism able todischarge excavated material from the digging unit to both sides of thedigging unit, or to only one side thereof, thereby greatly increasingthe flexibility of the discharging operations of the machine, andproviding for expeditious handling of such discharged material in a highcapacity excavating machine.

The terms and expressions which have been used are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the useof.such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of any of thefeatures shown or described, or portions thereof, but it is recognizedthat various modifications are possible within the scope of theinvention claimed.

I claim:

1. In a mobile excavating machine having a chassis, traction mechanismsupporting said chassis for movement along the ground, a boom frameprojecting general 1y longitudinally from each end of said chassis, anend- 'less digging unit movably mounted on each boom frame for diggingoperations in a generally vertical plane, each boom frame beingpivotally supported on said chassis for swinging movement in a generallyvertical plane for varying the depth of excavation of the respectivedigging unit, power means for selectively pivoting each boom frame,other power means for simultaneously driving said digging units, and adischarge conveyor mechanism mounted on each of said boom frames andextending transversely through the respective digging unit, each of saidconveyor mechanisms comprising a plurality of generally elongatedconveyor units disposed in generally end-to-end relation and extendinglaterally to opposite sides of the respective digging unit, eachconveyor unit comprising an inner section mounted on the respective boomframe and an outer section pivoted for movement in a generally verticalplane and with respect to said inner section, the last mentioned planebeing disposed generally perpendicularly to the first mentioned plane,said outer section being of a considerably greater length than thelength of the associated inner section, means for selectively pivotingsaid outer conveyor section in its said vertical plane, said innersections of said conveyor units of each conveyor mechanism, at the innerends thereof, being disposed in material transferring relation, andpower means for selectively driving each of said conveyor sections ofeach conveyor unit in either lengthwise direction, whereby excavatedmaterial from both digging units may oe simultaneously discharged toopposite si es of the respective digging unit, or to only one selectedside thereof, and at a selected elevation with respect to the machine.

2. A mobile excavating machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein eachof said conveyor inner sections commences substantially at thelongitudinal vertical center plane of the respective digging unit andeach of said conveyor outer sections is pivoted to the respective sideof the respective boom frame, below the outer end of the respectiveconveyor inner section.

3. A mobile excavating machine in accordance with claim 2 wherein saidmeans for selectively pivoting each conveyor outer section of eachconveyor unit in its said vertical plane comprises a jib pivoted to themachine chassis and jutting angularly outwardly therefrom in overlyingrelation to the respective conveyor onter section,

6 and flexible means coacting between the respective jib and therespective outer conveyor section for raising and lowering therespective outer conveyor section in its said vertical plane.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 683,516 10/01Stinson 37--90 708,583 9/02 Powell 3770 929,732 8/09 Van Buren et al.37-97 1,852,048 8/32 George 37-97 2,956,355 10/60 Meyer 3797 FOREIGNPATENTS 334,066 3/21 Germany. 802,227 19/ 28 Great Britain.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD A. DOUGLAS, BENJAMIN BENDETT,

Examiners.

1. IN A MOBILE EXCAVATING MACHING HAVING A CHASSIS, TRACTION MECHANISMSUPPORTING SAID CHASSIS FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE GROUND, A BOOM FRAMEPROJECTING GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY FROM EACH END OF SAID CHASSIS, ANENDLESS DIGGING UNIT MOVABLY MOUNTED ON EACH BOOM FRAME FOR DIGGINGOPERATIONS IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE, EACH BOOM FRAME BEINGPIVOTALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID ON SAID CHASSIS FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN AGENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE FOR VARYING THE DEPTH OF EXCAVATION OF THERESPECTIVE DIGGING UNIT POWER MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY PIVOTING EACH BOOMFRAME, OTHER MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY DRIVING SAID DIGGING UNITS, AND ADISCHARGE CONVEYOR MECHANISM MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID BOOM FRAMES ANDEXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE DIGGING UNIT, EACH OF SAIDCONVEYOR MECHANISMS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY ELONGATEDCONVEYOR UNITS DISPOSED IN GENERALLY END-TO-END RELATION AND EXTENDINGLATERALLY TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE RESPECTIVE DIGGING UNIT, EACHCONVEYOR UNIT COMPRISING AN INNER SECTION MOUNTED ON THE RESPECTIVE BOOMFRAME AND AN OUTER SECTION PIVOTED FOR MOVEMENT IN A GENERALLY VERTICALPLANE AND WITH RESPECT TO SAID INNER SECTION, THE LAST MENTIONED PLANEBEING DISPOSED GENERALLY PERPENDICULARLY TO THE FIRST MENTIONED PLANE,SAID OUTER SECTION BEING OF A CONSIDERABLY GREATER LENGTH THAN THELENGTH OF THE ASSOCIATED INNER SECTION, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY PIVOTINGSAID OUTER CONVEYOR SECTION IN ITS SAID VERTICAL PLANE, SAID INNERSECTIONS OF SAID CONVEYOR UNITS OF EACH CONVEYOR MECHANISM, AT THE INNERENDS THEREOF, BEING DISPOSED IN MATERIAL TRANSFERRING RELATION, ANDPOWER MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY DRIVING EACH OF SAID CONVEYOR SECTIONS OFEACH CONVEYOR UNIT IN EITHER LENGTHWISE DIRECTION, WHEREBY EXCAVATEDMATERIAL FROM BOTH DIGGING UNITS MAY BE SIMULTANEOUSLY DISCHARGED TOOPPOSITE SIDES OF THE RESPECTIVE DIGGING UNIT, OR TO ONLY ONE SELECTEDSIDE SAID THEREOF, AND AT A SELECTED ELEVATION WITH RESPECT TO THEMACHINE.